Knicks · Game Thread: Game 2 Knicks vs Hawks 8PM Peacock (page 14)

Knicksfan @ 4/21/2026 1:02 PM
DLeethal wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:
DLeethal wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:
martin wrote:
DLeethal wrote:Brunson was also terrible. You could see Brunson ball creeping in late and could almost feel where it was going.

100% feel the same. He and Brown, the 2 most important people during the game, fucked up big time.

KAT was BALLING and he was sidelined by Brunson. When all the Hawks had all the fouls too.

And neither could figure it out.

Jalen is uber talented. He does not have a good feel for running a team at a playoff level. He is a SG in a PG body.

You know what’s worse with Brunson?

That he is smart enough to know that this team is better when he passes and sometimes he does and we win. But when we win and he only has a high assist number and that’s it, it’s like if he can’t or won’t repeat that. I get that he is a shooter and clutch, but this is a team sport and our best version usually has someone else staring with him just providing clutch shots at the end.

Yesterday was like he wanted to will the team to win on his back and it was sad to see it when the talent around him does not need to be carried. KAT dominates and we win because KAT is unlike any other player. He can shoot the lights out, pass and his defense has been on point. His reward? Vanished from the 4th. That was mostly on Brunson and he did look ashamed of his decision-making, but I’m tired of that act. We saw that soooo many times during the season that it should’ve been fixed there. This team is like a freaking Dory fish from Finding Nemo that can’t retain any lesson.

Brown, I’m done with him. He was supposed to come here and make us improve. He experimented a lot during the season and I was ok because he was learning the team. But to come here in the postseason to experiment with trash lineups that make no sense and then not have the balls to control Brunson when he is hijacking the offense, your are a freaking clown. To even defend those lineups on the presser is ridiculous.

This team, man!! Whoever is rightfully frustrated with them today is not really because ofthe loss, but because this situation is the unwanted reminder that this team is still a mess after a full season together. This decision-making from Brown and Brunson is tough but tolerable during the season, but at this point? Gimme a freaking break! You have all the pieces to make this a dream run and you are too shortsighted to see how you are blowing it.

The team that has played so far this postseason would get historically embarrassed by Boston in the second round. You don’t think they are already salivating at the opportunity to get revenge on us while they keep improving their perfect act? This Knicks team is that dumb to think that their clown act can still get them somewhere in these playoffs? Boston is looking forward to humiliating you in Round 2 and you show that at this point you still aren’t on the same page?

Fuuuudge…

I would chill just a little bit. They looked worse after 2 games vs Detroit and beat a much better Celtics team. Knicks dominated for 7 out of 8 quarters of play. Sky is not falling at this current time. They just made things harder on themselves, which they are famous for doing.

Hey, if you can believe this, great for you. Really.

I just see the same inconsistent Jekyll and Hyde team that we’ve always been and the thing is that those teams always get bounced out of the playoffs. This time, the roster is so deep that it’s too frustrating to think that they are playing themselves into the same role as before.

I’m not saying that the sky is falling. It’s not about that with this team. It’s more about that frustrating mental roadblock that doesn’t go away no matter the coach and no matter the depth of the team. This team might be their best version in decades, and it could not matter because there seems to be a huge mentality issue here.

I don’t believe anything except that the sky isn’t falling yet. We got beat handily by Detroit for the bulk of two games at home last year and split 1-1. The situation was much less rosy at that stage than it is now. We went on to win 2 straight on the road and beat an elite Boston team.

So extrapolating these two games as a sign we would get destroyed by Boston doesn’t make sense to me.

Bringing up last season’s playoffs as some sort of proof that this year can work like that doesn’t make sense to me. Very, very different situations, including a very different Boston team.

And you are getting it wrong: I’m not extrapolating two games to say we would get destroyed by Boston. If you follow the discussion here, you will see that the concerns pointed out have been going on for the whole season, but of course, back then we just had to say that they had time to improve. Not anymore, as the playoffs have already started. So the fact that this team still seems to not know how to maximize their roster and keep an offense flowing under playoff defense pressure, at this point in time, that IS the actual problem.

martin @ 4/21/2026 1:06 PM
This is the playoffs man. OK to experiment during the regular season but not Game 2 at MSG

martin @ 4/21/2026 1:08 PM
Chandler wrote:If Atlanta or Detroit or whoever else wants to put their best defender on Jalen in full court the solution is to pass the ball up and play fast. It leaves their best defender in the back court out of the action and scrambling to catch up.

Trying to dribble up and bait for fouls just plays into their hands. Tires out Jalen, turnovers, disrupts any flow

True, 4 on 4 should be easier too cause of the spacing

Knicksfan @ 4/21/2026 1:12 PM
BlueKnickers wrote:Woke up this morning
Asked myself:
Was it really as bad as everyone thought it was?
Drink some coffee
Hmmmmm, tastes good
Yes, yes it was as bad as everyone says it was

Yep

LivingLegend @ 4/21/2026 1:13 PM
martin wrote:After the first game against Atlanta, I felt the Knicks didn't have the usual zest and sharpness that we have been accustomed to going back to the Riley, JVG, Thibs teams. They always came out looking extra intense, like Josh hart has in the first quarter of this game.

The Knicks as a team have looked uninterested for most of the game this season IMO

Detroit looked intense all season. Charlotte looked locked in until the play-in

The Knicks just don't and then when you need it the most, you lose to an undermined Atlanta team and give them a lot of confidence and life. No foot on throat. Too much nonchalance.

Like bring back the shaved look or black sneaks or something.

Blame it on the Always Knicks marketing garbage

We have an outscore / finesse mentality despite having some aggressive guys (Hart) and tough defenders (OG) - we still have 3/5 of starting unit that are finesse or poor defenders and 2/5 of starting unit that are really saving themselves on d to have more juice left for offense.

Collectively the team only wants to do just enough to win.

They can't sustain HIGH effort --- overall #s look good defensively BUT I agree with you - rarely do we have that crazed look in our eyes and never sustain it start/finish. Really comes from Jalen/Kat though Kat's D has greatly improved. We also are NOT athletic - hard to put great pressure on other team if collectively they are the better athletes.

Knicksfan @ 4/21/2026 1:14 PM
martin wrote:This true too

True… And infuriating as well.

But where is the freaking ball movement?

nycericanguy @ 4/21/2026 1:15 PM
I will say these losses can be helpful, gives a team something to overcome and persevere through. I think we can just as easily win the next 3, we've clearly been the better team, just haven't closed well. and CJ has gone nuts.
martin @ 4/21/2026 1:15 PM
LivingLegend wrote:
martin wrote:After the first game against Atlanta, I felt the Knicks didn't have the usual zest and sharpness that we have been accustomed to going back to the Riley, JVG, Thibs teams. They always came out looking extra intense, like Josh hart has in the first quarter of this game.

The Knicks as a team have looked uninterested for most of the game this season IMO

Detroit looked intense all season. Charlotte looked locked in until the play-in

The Knicks just don't and then when you need it the most, you lose to an undermined Atlanta team and give them a lot of confidence and life. No foot on throat. Too much nonchalance.

Like bring back the shaved look or black sneaks or something.

Blame it on the Always Knicks marketing garbage

We have an outscore / finesse mentality despite having some aggressive guys (Hart) and tough defenders (OG) - we still have 3/5 of starting unit that are finesse or poor defenders and 2/5 of starting unit that are really saving themselves on d to have more juice left for offense.

Collectively the team only wants to do just enough to win.

They can't sustain HIGH effort --- overall #s look good defensively BUT I agree with you - rarely do we have that crazed look in our eyes and never sustain it start/finish. Really comes from Jalen/Kat though Kat's D has greatly improved. We also are NOT athletic - hard to put great pressure on other team if collectively they are the better athletes.

That

Knicksfan @ 4/21/2026 1:15 PM
DLeethal wrote:

Time is a flat circle

We’ve seen this many times.

Why doesn’t it stick?

Bah

martin @ 4/21/2026 1:16 PM
Knicksfan wrote:
martin wrote:This true too

True… And infuriating as well.

But where is the freaking ball movement?

Apparently ended at the strip club from the previous night

martin @ 4/21/2026 2:19 PM
Brunson is not a natural passer. Can’t complain about his height or the length guarding him on this one

He doesn’t give up the ball.

martin @ 4/21/2026 3:14 PM
Passes better than Deuce, shoots better than GTA, plays defense better than Brunson.

Can score 50 in a day.

Chandler @ 4/21/2026 3:32 PM
rick Brunson needs to talk to Jalen to get him to pass to KAT; KAT is easy enough to see on the court -- he's the big dude

Rick also needs to talk to Brown and say we need to play through KAT more; KAT is the more willing passer, and can initiate. He also has the biggest mismatch

HofstraBBall @ 4/21/2026 4:19 PM
martin wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:
martin wrote:This true too

True… And infuriating as well.

But where is the freaking ball movement?

Apparently ended at the strip club from the previous night

The Nova contract is strong.
No one allowed to outshine outside the circle.

Think we all know JB feels he has to do it himself.
Been saying for two years that he has to understand teams will make other guys beat them.
Just need him to understand he has the support to do so.
At the end of the day, we should beat Atlanta. Problem is, teams get better as we go deeper in the playoffs and feel his instincts to do it all himself won’t go away.

ramtour420 @ 4/21/2026 4:37 PM
HofstraBBall wrote:
martin wrote:
Knicksfan wrote:
martin wrote:This true too

True… And infuriating as well.

But where is the freaking ball movement?

Apparently ended at the strip club from the previous night

The Nova contract is strong.
No one allowed to outshine outside the circle.

Think we all know JB feels he has to do it himself.
Been saying for two years that he has to understand teams will make other guys beat them.
Just need him to understand he has the support to do so.
At the end of the day, we should beat Atlanta. Problem is, teams get better as we go deeper in the playoffs and feel his instincts to do it all himself won’t go away.


That's the truth. And that's the difference between an All-Star Brunson and Championship Brunson. I am willing to give him as much time as he needs. Of course, the longer it takes him - the less of a complimentary team we can put around him because of the cap rules.
Rookie @ 4/21/2026 4:46 PM
Knicksfan wrote:
BlueKnickers wrote:Woke up this morning
Asked myself:
Was it really as bad as everyone thought it was?
Drink some coffee
Hmmmmm, tastes good
Yes, yes it was as bad as everyone says it was

Yep

Woke up this morning and poured a shot of tequila, still didn’t take the bad tase out. Think I’ll keep drinking and operate heavy machinery to get my mind off the collapse.

ToddTT @ 4/21/2026 5:39 PM
Brown sucked.

KAT can't dominate because he'll foul out.

Bridges missed several key buckets. And I hated that caressing hug of a foul.

JB can't do it all.

OG ain't 100%. He looked gassed or hurting on a couple of key defensive plays. And the choked free throws were rough.

Kolek was scoreless.

I'm not sure who the two days off helps more. Probably them.

ToddTT @ 4/21/2026 5:41 PM
Always Knicks. Sometimes Basketball.
ToddTT @ 4/21/2026 5:41 PM
ToddTT wrote:Always Knicks. Sometimes Basketball.

Always Knicks. Never Easy.

Rookie @ 4/21/2026 6:09 PM
ToddTT wrote:
ToddTT wrote:Always Knicks. Sometimes Basketball.

Always Knicks. Never Easy.

Didn’t back my tractor up into the pond, still have all of my fingers after Doug stupid shit with the chainsaw and the tiller left me with all of my toes. Knicks fans are just meant to survive and suffer

martin @ 4/21/2026 6:10 PM
ToddTT wrote:Brown sucked.

KAT can't dominate because he'll foul out.

Bridges missed several key buckets. And I hated that caressing hug of a foul.

JB can't do it all.

OG ain't 100%. He looked gassed or hurting on a couple of key defensive plays. And the choked free throws were rough.

Kolek was scoreless.

I'm not sure who the two days off helps more. Probably them.

ToddBot likes it rough

Page 14 of 16
Back to Knicks Forum
2026 © UltimateKnicks.com